Chicago Bears: Potential surprise cuts and why they could happen

Tight End Daniel Brown

This is a battle which many seem to be split on. Daniel Brown is well-liked and is one of the more sure-handed guys at the tight end position. The battle between he and Ben Braunecker may just come down to one thing, and in my opinion, that is athleticism.

Watching both Brown and Braunecker over the course of the preseason, it is obvious who is the more athletically-gifted of the two. Nagy’s offense seems to favor versatility and athleticism, which makes me like Braunecker a little more than Brown.

Don’t get me wrong, the Bears would be cutting a good player in Brown. But, when it comes down to all the things you could do with Braunecker within this offense, he simply presents a more versatile player than Brown. Watching him most recently against the Chiefs, Braunecker accelerates at a blatantly obvious pace in comparison to Brown, and getting up the field after the catch is huge.

Depending on how serious the injury to Adam Shaheen ends up being, the Bears could wind up keeping both Brown and Braunecker in the beginning stages of the season. But, if Shaheen is healthy to begin the regular season, I would expect to see Braunecker as the fourth tight end alongside Trey Burton, Dion Sims and Shaheen.